Talawanda Baseball Fields Not Yet Finished

Talawanda baseball and softball field dugouts are not yet built, but treasurer Mike Davis said once a builder is contracted, dugouts can be built in about four weeks.

“The architect tells me that dugouts are not complex structures,” Davis said in an email. “There is still some reasonably good weather days ahead before we hit the dead of winter.”

The dugout building process was delayed because the contractors of the field did not inform the Board of Education that there were no plans of any type of dugout.

 “By then, the project was running behind schedule and the BOE was focused on completion of the building and moving students into the new facility,” said Davis.

 Davis said he, along with the BOE and community members, was very angry with the architect and construction manager for the omission. However, he said, “the completion of the main building became the district’s priority.”

Another contributor to the field delay, said Davis, was due to the grass not being laid down soon enough on the fields.  “[The grass] was planted too late by the landscaper and was not ready for use during last year’s ball season,” he said.

Davis said the dugout delay is no reflection on Talawanda School District’’s baseball program.  “It was an unintended consequence of the problems we experienced on the overall construction project.”

At the first baseball meeting of the year, Athletic Director John Thomas said the dugouts are out for bid to be built, but the dugouts and field will be ready to play on before the season starts.

The Talawanda baseball and softball season begins in March.